Forgetful Finn
by Griffin Stone
Summary: (The Deep fic. Kind of a re-write of Finn Comes Aboard) The Nektons have come across a lot of things in the ocean. But when they find Finn in the company of a dolphin pod with no memory of anything except cursed waters, it's a bit new. And when there turns out to be some truth to the old pirate's curse, Nektons and pirates will have to team up to save a member of their family.
1. Mysterious Call

**A/N: Yep, got distracted again. And, well, I'm putting in my contribution for The Deep with my favorite theme: amnesia!**

* * *

"All Nektons, report to the bridge. Priority one."

Fontaine looked up at the sound of Kaiko's voice over the comms. She lost no time in setting her guitar on her bed and rushing from the room. Priority one meant someone was in immediate danger, usually a sinking boat or stranded scuba diver.

On her way to the bridge, she met up with Will and Ant, who had been busy in Will's study. Jeffrey followed by way of his tubes. They all reached the bridge together.

"What's up, Mum?" Fontaine asked, jogging up to where her mom sat.

"We're getting a call from a remote location," Kaiko said.

A call? Fontaine leaned over her mom's shoulder to see the console. "From who?"

Kaiko squinted unsurely at the screen. "From… you?"

Fontaine jerked back. "What?"

The family exchanged confused looks. Even Jeffrey, floating in his tube, seemed confused.

"Maybe it's a mistake," Fontaine said hesitantly. "I mean, my communicator is right here!"

Ant grinned smugly. "Wait, didn't you… 'lose' one a few weeks ago?"

While Fontaine glared, Will nodded slowly and said, "The signal is yours, Fontaine."

"Why would the pirates even use the distress signal?" Fontaine said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe somebody misses you," Ant teased, batting his eyes.

"And it's not the distress signal," Kaiko said, as if her eldest wasn't trying to drop Ant with her fiery gaze. "It's the signal we use for something new."

"Whatever their reason, somebody needs us," Will added. "Kaiko, where is the signal coming from?"

"It's a little ways. We can be there in a six hours," Kaiko said, already turning the Aronnax.

"Then let's go see what they want," Will said.

"Setting new coordinates," Kaiko said. "Stay sharp, everyone."

* * *

After six hours of avoiding her parents' subtle glances and Ant's less-than-subtle smirks, Fontaine was ready to solve their signal mystery. When the Aronnax surfaced at the signal's location, Fontaine rushed to the upper deck.

After taking a moment to let the cool, salty air wash over her totally-not-warm-with-a-blush cheeks, Fontaine turned her gaze to the ocean.

With the exception of a tiny peak of stone, everything was blue ocean beyond the Aronnax. A bottlenose dolphin surfaced briefly, then clicked as it played in the waves caused by the Aronnax's surfacing. There wasn't a boat or sub in sight.

"I don't see the Dark Orca," Ant said, joining Fontaine at the rail.

"We're right over the signal," Kaiko said, staring at her tablet. "The scans aren't picking up anything big enough to be it, either."

Ant face-palmed. "It was a trick!"

Fontaine raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"They must have activated the beacon, then dumped it!" Ant exclaimed. "I bet they're stealing something in another ocean right now!"

Fontaine groaned, but had to admit that Ant's suspicions could be true. Though she couldn't figure out why Finn would allow her communicator to be used like that.

"Let's check further down," Kaiko said. "The Dark Orca could be hidden near this underwater mountain."

The Nektons filed back to the bridge, where Kaiko sat back down. She grabbed the joysticks and pulled back. A disconcerting screech filled the bridge, while the whole sub shuddered. Kaiko hurriedly let go of the joysticks, and the Aronnax fell still and silent.

"They sabotaged the sub!" Ant yelped.

"Ant," Kaiko said, lightly scolding. "The props are stuck. We must have just picked something up along the way."

"Ant and I will clear the propellers with Knights," Will said. "Fontaine, check on deck again, in case we missed something."

Fontaine nodded and ran for the stairs. She burst onto the top deck and scanned the ocean with narrowed eyes.

"Come out, pirates," Fontaine muttered. "I know you want to brag about stopping our sub."

Oddly, nothing came into view. Hearing increased splashing from one side of the Aronnax, Fontaine cautiously approached the rail.

"Dad? Do you see anything on the port side?" Fontaine asked.

"We aren't outside yet. Why? What do you see?"

Fontaine held her breath and peered slowly over the railing. She exhaled with a chuckle when she saw the playful dolphin was bumping the Aronnax.

"Nothing, Dad. Just a dol-" Fontaine blinked as another gray form surfaced. "...phin?"

"Uh… why'd you hesitate?" Ant asked in his wild-theory voice. "Is it really a dolphin? Is it weird? Or big? Please tell me that you saw a giant dolphin!"

Fontaine shook her head, then glared into blue eyes. "Finn."

Smiling Finn floated beside the dolphin, staring up at Fontaine. While he wore his full diving gear, Fontaine could see his signature smile was missing. He was looking up at Fontaine through his cracked visor with narrowed eyes and a tightly drawn mouth. Light flashed from the stolen comm on his left wrist draped over the dolphin's back and he tightly held the strap of a narrow waterproof tube in his right hand.

"What kind of fin?! Is it a- ohhh, pirate boy. I'll leave the two of you," Ant teased.

"Fontaine? What's Finn doing?" Will asked, sounding nervous.

"Nothing," Fontaine said, not taking her eyes from the silent boy. "What do you want, Finn?"

Finn continued to stare up at Fontaine. For a moment, he almost looked confused, then his expression switched to… fear? He lifted his helmet, revealing that he was soaked.

"You have to get out of here!" Finn called, shaking his wet hair.

"You called us," Fontaine said drily. "Why?"

Finn blinked at her. "I didn't call you."

"Come on, Finn. You're wearing my communicator," Fontaine said. "What is this? Did your dad sent you out here to distract us?"

"Distract you?" Finn repeated. "I don't even know you!"

* * *

**A/N: -dramatic music in the background-**


	2. Water Rescue

**A/N: I'm admitting that this is a high-impulse, low-edit story, so feel free to give feedback or just ask what in the world I'm doing.**

**Actually, no, don't ask that. 'Cause I don't know, either. XD**

* * *

Any further argument Fontaine had died in her throat. She managed a hoarse, "What?"

"I'm only here to warn you! These waters are cursed! You have to get away!" When Fontaine still couldn't respond, Finn slapped the water in a gesture of frustration. "It's dangerous here! Get away!"

Before Fontaine could get her thoughts in order, Finn grabbed the dolphin's fin. The dolphin clicked and vanished beneath the water.

"F-Finn!" Fontaine yelped.

"What's going on, Fontaine?" Will demanded.

"Ge-get Finn, Dad!" Fontaine stammered. "He went starb- no, port! He's swimming away!"

"I'll get him!"

A moment later, Fontaine saw the White Knight zip away from the Aronnax in the same direction that Finn and the dolphin had gone. She squinted at the water, too busy trying to track the pursued pair to respond when the Shadow Knight surfaced.

"What was that all about?" Ant asked. "What's Finn up to?"

"I don't know," Fontaine said, her sincerity and confusion making Ant look at her.

"You okay?" Ant asked cautiously.

Fontaine blinked and shook her head. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"It's nothing," Fontaine snapped. "Finn was just up to his tricks again."

"So, you admit that Finn is tricky."

Fontaine glared at Ant and didn't grace him with a response. She switched her gaze back to the ocean until she saw the White Knight surface nearby.

"Dad!" Fontaine called, straightening. "Did you catch him?"

"Never even saw him," Will said. "Why? What did he tell you?"

"Nothing, it… I think he was just trying to distract me," Fontaine said, stepping away from the railing.

Kaiko stepped onto the deck just then. Fontaine hurriedly turned away before her mom could see her expression. Kaiko, however, caught right on. She walked to her daughter and put an arm around her.

"Fontaine, what happened?" Kaiko asked gently.

Fontaine frowned at the deck, confused and just a little hurt at Finn's lie. "I don't know. Finn just… he said he didn't know who I was."

"That's not like Finn," Kaiko said.

"I know, he was probably just messing with me. I don't know why I care, except…"

"Except?" Kaiko prompted.

Fontaine hugged herself. "Except he sure looked like he believed it."

Kaiko started. She lifted her head and scanned the empty ocean. "Will, try to find Finn again. The Dark Orca really isn't anywhere around here, so Finn has to be alone. Something could have happened."

"Do you think he got hurt?" Fontaine asked.

"I don't know," Kaiko said. "But we're going to find out. Come on, let's help."

* * *

Minutes later, Fontaine and Kaiko had joined Will and Ant in the water. Fontaine used the Mimic Knight, figuring the dolphins helping Finn would be less spooked, and Kaiko took out the Rover to clear out the Aronnax's propellers.

Fontaine swam increasingly larger circles, scanning the ocean for any signs of movement. Her Knight periodically let out the sound of a curious dolphin, and Fontaine listened for any response from Finn's dolphin.

"Anyone see anything?" Fontaine asked, circling closer to the Aronnax after an hour of fruitless searching.

"No pirates, no Dark Orca," said Ant, who was busy searching the ocean floor around the mountain. "I'm pretty sure Finn's long gone by now. It was a trap, and you fell for it."

Fontaine grit her teeth. "Ant-"

"If it was a trick, we all fell for it," Kaiko cut in.

"I just don't understand why Finn would trick us. It isn't like him," Fontaine said.

"Hammerhead probably put him up to it," Will said. "That boy will do anything for his father. Most sons would."

"Finn?" Ant said.

"Yes, Ant. Even Finn," Will said with a smile.

"No, I see Finn!"

Ant dropped the Shadow Knight behind a large rock. He peered around the boulder to watch the pirate boy and dolphins.

Finn was surrounded by six dolphins. While Finn stood on the ocean floor, the dolphins clicked and wheeled around him. Finn looked up. Ant followed Finn's gaze, but couldn't see anything past the Aronnax's shadow.

"What's he doing?" Will said.

"Just standing there," Ant said. "It's like he's waiting for something… or someone."

"Keep your distance," Will cautioned. "I'll be right there. Kaiko, Fontaine, you come as well. We'll approach from all sides so he can't get away again."

Fontaine checked the Shadow Knight's coordinates. "Has he been under the Aronnax this whole time?"

"He wasn't there before," Ant said.

"Has he moved?" Will asked.

"Not since I got here."

Finn lowered his head and turned to look around. Ant saw he had his free hand pressed against his chest, and reported that to the others.

"He could be hurt," Kaiko immediately said.

"If he isn't, he will be hurting when I'm done with him!"

Ant grinned at the anger in Fontaine's voice. His smile dropped, however, when Finn's motions became quick and jerky. A second later, he kicked off the floor. A dolphin swept closer, and Finn grabbed on to be pulled quickly up.

"He's headed for the Aronnax!" Ant yelped, kicking forward. "I'll stop him!"

"Ant, no!"

Ignoring his dad's yell, Ant sped after Finn. In the Shadow Knight, Ant easily caught up to the dolphins, who noticed him at the same time as Finn.

Instantly, four dolphins broke formation to slam into the Shadow Knight. Ant yelped as he was knocked off course. The dolphins continued to hassle him, smacking the Knight with their blunt noses and hard tails. The remaining two dolphins sped Finn toward the surface.

"When did Finn train attack dolphins?!" Ant yelped, spinning away.

"He couldn't," Kaiko said. She opened a video feed from the Shadow Knight. "They must be protecting him!"

"Why?! I love dolphins!" Ant lamented.

"Maybe, but you look like a shark in that Knight," Fontaine said. "Just stop chasing, I'm almost there."

Fontaine soon reached where Ant had retreated. Ant moodily pointed where the dolphins had gone, and she rushed after them.

Fontaine slowed as she approached the dolphins. They obviously wouldn't see her as a dolphin, but she hoped that she at least looked harmless to them. The dolphins didn't mind her slipping in among them, but then Finn turned back and made a wild motion with his hand.

A second later, the dolphins scattered. Fontaine floundered to a stop, looking quickly around. She nearly dove when she saw Finn's canister, then realized it was a dolphin holding the strap. Spotting Finn with a single dolphin heading up, she swam quickly above him to cut him off. Finn flinched, then the dolphin sped off to the side.

Fontaine stayed on his tail, grinning when she reached out and grabbed Finn's ankle. The dolphin, having just turned for the surface, slipped out of Finn's hold.

"I got him!" Fontaine said.

"We're almost there!" Will said.

Fontaine jerked the writhing Finn closer until she was able to grab his arm. The dolphins were suddenly surrounding the pair, not attacking, but bumping and pushing them toward the surface.

"Ow, what's the deal?" Fontaine asked when a dolphin accidentally smacked her arm.

Fontaine tightened her grip on Finn when the boy kicked at her. Luckily, his flippered feet were too clumsy to do much. Fontaine forced Finn to turn and face him.

That's when she realized her mistake.

Finn's suit had a tear on the chest, and was full of water! His cheeks bulged with air, but his expression was strained.

"Oh, no, no, hold on!" Fontaine yelled, kicking frantically for the surface with the dolphins' aid.

"Fontaine, what's wrong?" Will asked, catching up in time to see Fontaine's dash for the surface.

"Finn doesn't have any air!" Fontaine gasped when Finn jerked. She glanced down in time to see his mouth start to open."No, no!"

Fontaine, propelled by the dolphins that veered away at the last second, hit the surface of the Moon Pool with enough momentum that she lunged clear out of the water. She and Finn tumbled ungracefully across the floor.

Fontaine squirmed free of the Mimic Knight and ran across the slippery floor to where Finn had landed. She found the helmet release and pressed it with trembling fingers. Finn's helmet opened, spilling more water on the floor. Finn was still conscious, but choking out water.

"Fontaine, what's going on?" Ant asked, the Shadow Knight popping into view.

"Help me!" Fontaine ordered.

Ant took one look at Finn's pale face leaped to Fontaine's aid. The siblings managed to wrestle Finn from his bulky oxygen tank and helmet to turn him on his side while Finn coughed and spat out water.

Feeling helpless, Fontaine rubbed Finn's back. Finn coughed a couple more times, then closed his eyes and dropped his head on the floor.

"Better?" Fontaine asked weakly.

Finn, eyes still closed, nodded. He still panted heavily, recovering from his near drowning. While Finn got his breathing under control, Will and Kaiko returned. The Nektons gathered around Finn.

After a minute, Finn's eyes blinked open. He stared blankly up at the Nektons.

"Can you sit up?" Will asked, crouching beside Finn.

"Y-yeah. I think so," Finn said, sounding docile. He pushed himself to sit up carefully. "Thanks for your help."

"You wouldn't have needed help if you hadn't pulled such a foolish stunt," Will scolded. "If your suit was torn, you shouldn't have dived."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't have anywhere to go," Finn said. "I didn't want you to follow me."

"Why not?"

"You don't know? These waters are cursed!"

Ant, pointer finger in the air and ready to accuse, paused. "Cursed?"

"Cursed," Finn confirmed.

"Awesome," Ant said, grinning.

"Ant, give him some space," Kaiko said, waving Ant back. She turned to Finn. "Even if you were just trying to get us away, swimming alone is dangerous. Where's the Dark Orca?" She was personally going to chew Hammerhead out for sending Finn into the ocean with a torn wetsuit.

Finn, for his part, went from firm back to confused. "Do you mean the dolphins?"

"Sure, pirate boy," Ant said.

"What did you call me?"

"Pirate boy." Ant smirked and waited for Finn's typical response.

Finn just blinked.

"That's where you claim that you aren't a pirate," Ant said, slightly weirded out.

"Ant, drop it," Fontaine said, stepping to block him from view. "Ignore him. You know how he is."

If anything, Finn's expression only became more confused. "I do?"

Fontaine gave a strained smile. "Yeah."

"Why are you…" Finn shook his head, then winced and grabbed his head.

"Woah, easy," Kaiko said, grabbing Finn's shoulders. Now up close, she noticed something that made her eyes widen. "That's some cut you have back here."

"Is that why my head hurts?" Finn asked. He blinked hard, and Fontaine was afraid he was about to pass out again.

"It could explain a few things," Kaiko said thoughtfully. "Ant, go get a stretcher from the infirmary."

Ant dashed off. Fontaine watched him go, then was distracted by Finn's tentative voice.

"Is what you said true? Do I really know you? Do you know me?"

The Nektons stared at Finn.

"I'm going to assume that means yes?"

"We've known each other for years," said Kaiko, the only one not frozen in shock. "We're the Nektons. I'm Kaiko, this is Will and Fontaine."

Fontaine lifted a hand in a small wave. Finn looked uncertainly around, then shrugged.

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember any of you."

"Nothing to apologize for," Kaiko said, giving Will a startled look over Finn's head. "We'll figure this out soon."

"All aboard the stretcher express!" Ant called, barreling into the room with a rolling stretcher.

"And this is Ant," Will said, clapping a hand on Ant's shoulder.

Ant gave his father an odd look. "He knows that, Dad."

"Not right now, he doesn't," Will said. He steadied Finn while the boy stood and guided him to the stretcher.

"I think I can walk," Finn said.

"You could have a concussion," Kaiko said as coaxed Finn to lay down. "Just lay still, okay?"

"Yes, Mrs. Nekton," Finn said.

Kaiko smiled. "Just call me Kaiko."

"Um… okay," Finn said. He focused on Fontaine as the Nektons pushed the stretcher down the hall. "Along the way… this might be a weird question, but… we're friends, right?"

Fontaine swallowed the lump that rose in her throat. "Yeah... yeah, we are."

Finn smiled sheepishly. "… could someone please tell me what my name is?"

* * *

**A/N: Response to Sunrise Glimmer: Thanks for the support! I have a couple half-thought out plots that I might explore if season three doesn't do either of them, but it's up in the air. I do have another The Deep one-shot posted in another story called _Little Ones_, if you're interested.**


	3. Cursed Waters

**A/N: I have some announcements! First is just that the next chapter won't be coming until Saturday.**

**Next, you might have noticed that I changed the story genres. I almost upped the rating, too, but decided to keep it at K+ because I don't go into details. Anyway, the reason for these changes is that, in finishing the final chapters, I realized that the story didn't stay as goofy as I intended. I couldn't figure out an adventure to do with just Finn without memories, so I decided to keep the same plot as the original episode. A few research links into monkshood, and I realized that the symptoms are much, much worse in reality. (I'm not sure where the cravings even came from, unless it was some sort of hallucination.) So, in keeping with the symptoms, it got a lot more intense in later chapters.**

**I want to re-visit the amnesia Finn idea again with a simpler, sillier plot, but for now, I got this trainwreck of impulsiveness. -innocent whistling-**

* * *

Finn had amnesia.

That's what Kaiko had determined. She'd found a bump on Finn's head, alongside a scabbed-over gash. He'd been showing symptoms of a concussion as well, so temporary amnesia was a distinct possibility.

"But it is just temporary, right?" Fontaine clarified.

"In cases like this, the memory loss usually corrects itself in a short time," Kaiko said with a confident smile. "Don't worry, he'll be back to himself in no time."

"I hope so," Fontaine mumbled, looking across the infirmary.

Finn sat on one of the infirmary beds. He'd changed out of his torn wetsuit into a spare wetsuit Will had found for him. The cut on his head had been cleaned, but Kaiko was leaving the wound uncovered until his hair was dry.

Ant, thinking that Finn's amnesia was a trick, was rattling off everything he knew about the Dark Orca pirates. Since Ant's rambling could trigger Finn's memory, his parents let him.

"You have a younger sister named Mad Madaline," Ant said, narrow-eyed.

"Mad?" Finn repeated. "Why is she called that?"

"Because she's crazy!"

"Hey, that's not true!"

"Ah-ha!" Ant said triumphantly. "I knew you remembered!"

"I don't remember any Madaline, but she's my sister," Finn said. "You can't talk about her like that."

Ant deflated. "Okay, you live on this trashy sub that leaks!"

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me the truth or making things up, Anton?"

Ant sputtered. "For the last time, my name is just Ant!"

"Okay, _that_ I don't believe," Finn said. "Who names their kid after an insect?"

"It is too my name!" Ant said, waving his arms. "You're named after a body part of a fish, so like you're one to talk!"

"What's wrong with your names?" Will asked with an amused grin as he entered the infirmary. He held Finn's scuba gear and the tube.

"He doesn't think that my name is really Ant," Ant said with a pout.

"I can assure you, Finn. That's really his name." Will set the gear on a second bed near where Finn sat, and held out the tube. "Your dolphin friends brought this."

"Thanks!" Finn said with a wide smile. He took the tube and twisted the top off. "Now I'm finally dry enough to see what's inside."

"You… don't know?" Will asked.

Finn shrugged. "The first thing I remember is waking up in the ocean, surrounded by dolphins and holding this." Finn paused. "And coordinates for cursed water. It's near here."

"So you mentioned," Will said.

"Yeah, this wrist thing, it led me to the coordinates. I was trying to figure out why I needed to go there when you showed up."

While the Nektons absorbed that bit of information, Finn pulled a weathered piece of paper from the tube. He opened it across his lap, revealing a map.

"There!" Finn pointed to a section of fancy script across the top of the map. "The waters are cursed, according to this."

Will leaned down to check the map. "This map is hundreds of years old! And in Spanish?"

"How can you remember how to read centuries old Spanish maps, but not your own name?" Ant asked.

"Amnesia can be unpredictable," Kaiko said, joining them. "What else does the map say, Finn?"

Finn ran a finger along the script, mumbling. "Not much else. Lot of warnings and stay aways. Oh, 'death grows in these waters,' that's creative."

"Any coordinates?" Ant asked.

"Yes, actually. The ones I remembered," Finn looked up and frowned. "You aren't planning on going there, are you?"

"Why not?" Ant asked.

Finn raised an eyebrow and pointed to the script. "Hello, curse? Doesn't that sound dangerous?"

"We live for danger!" Ant said. "In fact, my middle name is danger!"

Everyone stared at Ant.

"Really?" Finn finally asked.

"No," Will said, at the same time as Ant's, "Yeah!"

Fontaine stood at the back of the room during the exchange. She frowned, watching Finn smile and laugh with her family. Considering Hammerhead thought the Nektons were his worst enemies, Finn had never been so open with the Nektons.

Well, to most of the Nektons. Maybe it was selfish of her, but Fontaine preferred it when Finn's genuine smile was reserved for her.

* * *

The coordinates on the map were fairly close, so Kaiko quickly set the Aronnax toward the location of the "cursed waters."

"This map was written by a pirate," Will explained later in his study. "Pirates are always claiming that treasure is cursed and such. It keeps some people away."

Finn, the only one sitting per Kaiko's orders, looked skeptical. "I dunno. This guy seems pretty positive that something horrible is going to happen if anyone tries to get that treasure."

"There's no such thing as curses, Finn," Kaiko said, smiling. "There's always a scientific explanation for things."

Fontaine, once again standing apart, couldn't stay quiet. "Can't we figure that out later?" Everyone looked at her. "I mean, shouldn't we be working on getting Finn's memory back?"

"Nothing we do will force Finn's memory back, Fontaine," Kaiko said. "And even if we could, forcing things could hurt Finn."

Fontaine flushed. Finn looked at her, all smiles and innocence and… and, where was the old cocky Finn who'd be sneaking around the Aronnax and spying for Hammerhead? Instead, he was all buddy-buddy with Ant, who hadn't mentioned "pirate" in fifteen minutes.

It wasn't right.

"Whatever," Fontaine said, turning and leaving.

"Is Fountain okay?" Finn asked.

Ant snorted into his hand. "Finn, it's _Fontaine._"

"Not so far off the mark," Will said, peering at the boys over the top of his glasses. "Fontaine does mean 'fountain' in French."

"Since when do you know French?" Ant asked Finn.

Finn shrugged. "I dunno."

"Oh, right."

Kaiko glanced at Will. "Why don't you two head to the bridge? Will and I will store the map away, and join you soon."

"Alright!" Ant said, dashing from the room with Finn in tow.

"Kaiko?" Will said when the boys were gone. "What's on your mind?"

"Finn," Kaiko said. "He had to have gotten this map from Hammerhead."

"Ah." Will cleared his throat while he went to get panes of glass for the map. "I was wondering about that as well. Hammerhead wouldn't let a treasure map out of his sight."

"It wouldn't be the first time Finn's stolen from his father to keep him out of trouble." Kaiko gestured to the script. "I wouldn't surprise me if he was trying to keep Hammerhead away from this 'curse.'"

"Hammerhead wouldn't have like that, good intentioned or not."

Kaiko shook her head. "Hammerhead never would have hurt Finn."

"I know." Will set the glass on the desk and paused for a silent moment. "And I know Hammerhead would never leave Finn hurt like that."

Kaiko inhaled sharply at a thought. "Suppose the Dark Orca found those coordinates before Finn was injured."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Will said. "Did you see his gear? Besides the tear, the back of his helmet was badly dented and the visor is nearly split in half."

"What should we do?"

"Head to the coordinates. Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Will sighed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope those pirates didn't get themselves hurt… or worse."


	4. Family Reunion (Pirate Style)

When Will and Kaiko entered the bridge, Ant was in full tour guide mode. Apparently, he didn't mind having a pirate on the Aronnax anymore. Of course, when the pirate didn't know he was a pirate, it didn't really count. It helped that Finn held onto every word Ant said.

The parents stood back and watched Ant point out everything on the bridge. The tour had gone past the kitchen at some point, evidenced by the half-empty plate of cookies and fruit on the Ephemychron's pedestal.

"This is Jeffrey's tank," Ant explained to Finn, who sat at Ant's normal spot. "He makes sure everything runs smoothly."

"With my help, I suppose," Kaiko said with a fond smile.

Ant spun. "Uh… hey, Mum! Just, uh… showing Finn around."

"Does anything look familiar yet?" Will asked.

Finn frowned slightly. "No, sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about. How's your head?"

"Better."

"Will?" Kaiko said, noticing a flashing light on her console. "Someone's been trying to contact us. Ant, how long have they been trying?"

"Uh… couldn't have been long," Ant said, glancing away.

Kaiko sighed. "I recognize this signal… it's the Dark Orca!"

"Aw, already?" Ant said. "I was just getting used to this Finn!"

Finn blinked. "Say again?"

Ant's mind went blank as he scrambled for an answer. Luckily, he was saved from answering when Kaiko opened the line.

The Dark Orca pirates obviously wasn't expecting them to answer at that time. Hammerhead was stalking back-and-forth in the tiny bridge, Madaline was perched halfway up the wall on a tank of questionable stability, and Danny Boy was banging a gauge.

Seeing everything was running like normal on the Dark Orca, Will and Kaiko exchanged relieved smiles that neither boy noticed. Will sobered and stepped to the front.

"Hammerhead," Will said.

Hammerhead yelled in alarm and flailed his arms for a second before recognizing the voice. He glared at the screen.

"Hello Nektons!" Hammerhead bellowed with a sneer. "Should've known ya'd be callin'."

"You called us," Kaiko pointed out.

"Uh… well, I suppose we did. Should've known ya'd be in range," Hammerhead muttered.

"What do you want, Hammerhead?" Will asked.

"'Fess up, we know ya have him!" Madaline yelled, leaping to the floor.

"Ah…" Will said, glancing at the boys standing out of the Dark Orca's view. "Did you, by any chance, lose your boy?"

Finn leaned down to Ant, whispering, "Is he talking about me?"

"Yep," Ant sighed. "Come on, I'll introduce you to your dad."

Ant dragged Finn into view in time for Finn's startled, "Dad?"

"Finn!" Hammerhead threw his hands in the air and, for a moment, Madaline actually looked relieved. "Why'd ya leave, me boy?"

Finn's eyes widened. "Uh…"

"Wait…" Hammerhead scowled. "What're ya doing with the Nektons?!"

Madaline shoved her face close to the screen, scowling once again. "He's even wearing their wetsuit!"

"They… saved me?" Finn stammered.

Hammerhead moved Madaline to the floor. "A likely story! I know ya stole me map, Finn! I'm orderin' ya to bring it back now!"

Will stepped in front of the shaken Finn. "Hammerhead, we think that going after that treasure will be dangerous. Finn was just trying to protect you."

"Ha! A likely story, Nekton! A pirate needs no protection!"

Ant flung his arms out. "How'd you even know where to look for the treasure?"

Hammerhead lifted his head proudly. "I memorized the location!"

"Uh, Cap'n," Danny Boy said, raising a hand. "It was I who memor-"

Hammerhead shoved him away and pointed at the screen. "Finn! Ya've betrayed yer proud pirate heritage… and yer family." Hammerhead blinked, then scowled. "From now on, yer no son of mine."

Hammerhead stabbed a finger at the screen, cutting off communications. The Nektons stared at the blank screen.

"Well, that cleared nothing up," Will said.

"Maybe we shouldn't have included Finn," Kaiko said with a wince. She turned her chair. "Finn, we didn't mean… Finn?"

Will and Ant turned. Finn was gone.


	5. Two Kinds of Wreck

**A/N: I present to you, a cover! And corny Fontaine. So focus on the cover! XD Luckily, Fontaine's about as awkward at comforting people as I am.**

**Since canon doesn't give any information about Finn's mother aside from the picture and heavily implying that she has died, I had to get creative.**

* * *

Since the Aronnax had remained on the surface for the trip, Fontaine had gone to the top deck for some fresh air. She stared at the horizon, biting her lip as she thought about Finn.

Eventually, she was pulled from her thoughts by a door opening. She whirled to see Finn stumble onto deck. He was staring down the steps with a bewildered frown, and was looking unsteadier than ever.

"Finn? You okay?" Fontaine asked, hurrying to steady him.

"Yeah, I…" Finn took a deep breath. "I think I just met my dad."

Fontaine thought about Hammerhead on a good day. "Oh, that must have been… interesting."

Finn tore his eyes from the stairs. Fontaine inhaled sharply at the lost, hurt look in his eyes.

"What happened?" Fontaine asked, hoping she didn't sound as awkward as she felt.

Finn's face twisted. "He… disowned me."

Fontaine winced before she could stop herself. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you once told me that he disowns you once a week."

Which was the completely _wrong_ thing to say. Finn actually looked like he would start crying, and Fontaine didn't know what she'd do if _that_ happened.

"He's not so bad," Fontaine scrambled to fix what she'd said. "He just… doesn't know how to express that he loves you."

"What says 'I love you' in disowning your own son?" Finn asked, eyes still alarmingly watery.

Fontaine nudged him. "He didn't mean it."

Finn hunched his shoulders. "I-I don't know. I want to believe you, I really do. But… but he didn't even act worried about me."

Fontaine wished she hadn't ditched the family, so she could have seen Hammerhead herself. It was hard to convince Finn that his dad cared, when she had never seen it herself.

"Just trust me, he does love you," Fontaine said as firmly as she could manage. "Give it a day, and this will all blow over."

Finn smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess I can't do much worse than the pearl."

Fontaine laughed. "Oh, yeah. That couldn't have been a fun day."

Wait.

"You remember the pearl?"

Finn blinked at Fontaine, then swayed. Fontaine caught him before he could fall.

"Woah, woah. Here, sit down."

With Fontaine's help, Finn half-sat, half-fell to the deck. He panted slightly, wide eyes fixed on the deck.

"You okay?" Fontaine asked. "Should I get Mum?"

Finn grabbed Fontaine's hand before she could leave. "No, I… I just got dizzy there for a second. I'm okay."

"If you say so." Fontaine slowly sat. "Did you remember anything else?"

"Just a pearl and Dad scolding me." Finn winced. "A-and… a guitar case?"

Fontaine chuckled. "That's where you hid the pearl from your dad."

"Why would I want to hide a pearl from my dad?"

"Well, it was a new kind of pearl. Huge, first of all. As big as your head," Fontaine explained.

"Are you saying I have a big head?" Finn asked with a grin. For a second, he looked like his old self.

Fontaine shoved him. "That's beside the point. Anyway, your dad a thing for special treasures, but you wanted the pearl to go to a museum. So, you left it for me to find."

"Huh." Finn was quiet for a moment. "So. My family are pirates?"

"Um… yeah," Fontaine said. "Did you remember that?"

"My dad said I'd betrayed my 'proud pirate heritage,'" Finn said, mimicking Hammerhead's gruff tone.

"Pirating is kind of in your blood," Fontaine said.

"So my dad said." Finn looked at Fontaine. "What about my mom?"

Just when Fontaine thought this conversation couldn't get any worse. She should have guessed Finn would ask about his mom eventually, and it was just Fontaine's luck that she was the only Nekton to have heard the story.

"I never knew your mom," Fontaine started carefully. "But from everything you told me, you're just like her. Always trying to keep your dad from stealing, being the level-headed one… but she loved Hammerhead."

"'Loved?'" Finn swallowed. "Is she…?"

Fontaine nodded. "You told me that she got sick six years ago. I'm sorry, Finn."

Finn looked away, blinking rapidly. "It's alright. It was years ago… I wish I could remember her…"

Fontaine bit her lip. Comforting was more her mom's thing, she wasn't so good at it. Much less for someone who she'd never seen cry.

"She used to dress your little sister up as a mermaid," Fontaine blurted. She winced, but Finn looked at her.

"A mermaid?"

"Yeah, Madaline is kind of obsessed with mermaids. Maybe less since she took out my Knight to pretend to be a mermaid. She crashed."

Finn chuckled. He looked at his hands with a kind of sad concentration, and Fontaine left him to his thoughts.

A few minutes later, Fontaine's communicator chirped, then Kaiko's voice was heard. "Fontaine, we're over the treasure's location now. Meet us in the Moon Pool, and keep an eye out for Finn. Hammerhead called and he… wasn't happy."

"Finn's here with me," Fontaine said.

"Thank goodness," Kaiko said. "Is he alright?"

Fontaine looked at Finn, who wiped his eyes and nodded. She told Kaiko, "Yeah, he's fine. We'll meet you at the Moon Pool." She signed off. "Do you want to come, Finn?"

"Yeah." Finn hauled himself up with the stair railing. "I'm not leaving you to face these cursed waters alone."

* * *

When Fontaine and Finn reached the Moon Pool, Ant and Will had left in the Shadow and Mag Knights. Kaiko waited beside the White Knight.

"You can stay here and rest if you want," Kaiko offered.

"No, I want to see it," Finn said tentatively, shaking his head. "I… I have to."

Kaiko nodded understandingly. "Take the Rover. Fontaine can drive."

Fontaine and Fill climbed into the Rover, then Kaiko followed them in the White Knight.

"Hey, looks like your friends decided to join us," Fontaine said, laughing when the dolphin pod swam up.

Finn didn't say anything, but his smile was less strained as he watched the dolphins. The dolphins clicked and spun around the Rover, backing off when the Rover reached a small canyon.

"A wreck's in here," Finn said, leaning forward. "The dolphins didn't let me get close before. Do dolphins believe in curses?"

"More likely that there's something physical they don't like," Fontaine said. "Although, I don't know what could spook a pod of dolphins, unless there's a predator around here."

Finn shrugged. "I didn't see any."

There wasn't anywhere for predators to hide, either. The canyon had smooth walls with no caves or rocks. The wreck itself had succumbed to the affects of being underwater for centuries; rotted away until little more than a skeleton of wood remained.

"Alright, where's this treasure?" Ant wondered, swimming slowly through the debris.

"It's centuries old," Will said. "It's probably buried under layers of silt by now."

Ant looked at the ocean floor. "We should really make shovels for the Knights."

"Aren't you just a little bit worried about the curse?" Finn asked. "You know, 'death grows in these waters'?"

"That's just a myth," Ant said, waving a hand.

"There's usually truth behind myths," Kaiko warned. "Be careful, Ant."

Fontaine looked up, then groaned. "We're out of time."

The Nektons in Knights spun to see pirates drop from the bottom of the Dark Orca.

Ant dropped into a dramatic stance. "Repel all boarders!"

"Really?" Finn asked, then yelped when Fontaine rushed the Rover forward to cut off the pirates.

"Back off, Hammerhead," Fontaine said after connecting their comms.

"We're claiming salvaging rights to this wreck, Hammerhead," Will said, joining Fontaine.

"Finn! Yer here as well? Is there no end to yer treachery?!" Hammerhead yelled, ignoring the Nektons.

Finn slid down so he was barely visible from outside.

"Hammerhead, there's-" Will started.

"Captain Hammerhead to ya!"

Will sighed. "Captain Hammerhead, there's something we have to tell you."

"Ya-" Hammerhead hesitated. "Yer up to somethin'."

"Besides keeping you from treasure that goes into a museum?" Will crossed the Knight's arms. "Just trying to keep you from making a mistake. Finn never betrayed you."

"Dad?" Fontaine said.

"Don't worry, Fontaine." Turning back to Hammerhead, Will continued. "I don't know what happened on your sub, but Finn has amnesia."

"Ya made that word up!" Madaline accused.

"When we found him, Finn couldn't remember anything," Will went on. "Not even his own name."

That gave Hammerhead pause. For about five seconds.

"Well, then I re-own him. If that be true. Finn! Get over here!"

"Uh…" Finn tried to scooch lower. "I don't know. I think I prefer it over here."

Fontaine groaned. Any other day, she would have been glad to hear that. But this wasn't Finn talking! Finn would have been over to Hammerhead by then, maybe even going after the treasure himself for one reason or another. Part of her wanted to keep Finn the way he was, but a larger part knew it wasn't right.

"Boy!" Hammerhead roared, and Fontaine made her decision.

"Here!" Fontaine shoved a rebreather mask into Finn's hands, then put on her own.

"What?" Finn asked.

"Put it on!"

"Why?" But Finn did put the mask on.

"Sorry, Finn," Fontaine said. "You'll thank me later."

Fontaine slammed her hand down on the release button for the Rover's canopy. Water rushed in, filling the Rover in seconds, then the canopy fully opened. Fontaine grabbed the stunned Finn and shoved him toward Hammerhead.

"Fontaine!" The other Nektons yelled.

"Son!" Hammerhead cried.

Fin twisted clumsily in the water, halfway to Hammerhead before he could stop. Fontaine clutched the Rover's canopy, silently willing Hammerhead to get his son so Finn would stop looking at her with such betrayal in his blue eyes.

Then a dolphin swam to Finn. The boy grabbed hold, and was swept away from Hammerhead's reach.

"Finn!" Fontaine yelled, kicking after the pod.

"What's he doing?!" Hammerhead yelled.

"Getting away from you, _pirate_!" Finn yelled back.

"Ya've brainwashed me boy!"

"We didn't do anything!" Ant protested.

Well, that could have gone better. Fontaine winced and swam faster.

* * *

**A/N: Well, I don't think it could get any worse... -innocent whistling-**

**Response to Random Fan: School? -hisses- XD Anyway... yeah, Hammerhead's going to have a little bit to explain when this is all done. (In case I misread your meaning and you meant to say that he should have been more upset, he probably should be. This is just a low-edit work, so it's kind of flighty.)**


	6. Hard Truth

**A/N: I'm going to start posting guest review responses on top.**

**To Random Fan: That is Fontaine. And me. XD Well, you called it. -squinting into the shadows- Alright, just don't jump out and scare me half to death.**

* * *

Leaving the two families to bicker, Fontaine focused on following the dolphins. Luckily, they didn't go far before the dolphin set Finn down. Fontaine hesitantly approached.

"Finn?"

Finn spun in a flurry of bubbles. "I thought you liked me!"

Fontaine jerked to a halt. "I do!"

"Then why'd you…" Finn gestured behind Fontaine, at a loss for words.

"Finn, I know this looks bad."

Fontaine turned to see an unimpressed Ant holding Madaline at a Knight's arm length, Hammerhead punching the Mag Knight, and Kaiko struggling with the other pirates. She sighed.

"It looks really bad," Finn agreed.

"Well, if I'm being honest… I don't know why you stay with your family," Fontaine admitted.

Finn flinched away. "Really?"

"You have a weird family," Fontaine went on. "You're all pirates, but you don't like stealing or tricking people. Your dad and sister are both loud and harsh, and you're… sweet."

"You think I'm sweet?" Finn said, daring to grin.

"Yes, but if you tell anyone else, I'm denying it." Fontaine lightly punched Finn's shoulder. "Besides, you're cocky. You always say that pirates aren't afraid of anything."

"Except for the unknown," Finn said, looking back. "And there's a lot of unknowns for me here."

"You want to know the solution to the unknown?"

"What?"

Fontaine held out her hand. "One step at a time."

Finn turned his head away. He rubbed the dolphin's fin, expression nervous. For a second, Fontaine was afraid he'd grab on and be swept away again.

Then, Finn's eyes hardened. He nodded and rubbed his hand down the dolphin's side, then paddled slowly away.

"Thanks, guys. I think I can take it from here."

As if they could understand -and, honestly, Fontaine wouldn't be surprised with dolphins- the dolphins clicked and swam away.

Finn sighed and turned. "Alright, let's go see if we can keep our families from killing each other."

* * *

Back at the wreck, the situation had only worsened. The pirates had brought a giant underwater vacuum and was wrestling with Kaiko for control. Ant had gotten stuck in some seaweed nearby, leaving Will to fend off Hammerhead and Madaline. He was holding his own, but it wasn't easy to hold back two angry pirates while trying to not hurt them.

"Oh, brother," Fontaine said when she saw the chaos.

The fighting had thrown up a fine cloud of silt and a purple powdery substance that Fontaine and Finn had to swim through to reach their families. They set down as close as they dared in a clear patch of sand.

"Dad," Fontaine said, ducking under the Mag Knight's swinging arm. "Dad, wait!"

"Just hold on a moment." Will plucked Madaline from his Knight's dome.

"I'm coming, Dad!" Ant yelled, jerking his Knight free. He zoomed forward and snatched Hammerhead away from the control panel on the back of the Mag Knight.

"This… isn't going well," Fontaine said.

"Everybody, freeze!" Finn yelled.

Surprisingly, everyone did. Nektons and pirates looked at Finn. The ocean was silent, save for the hum of the vacuum. Fontaine shifted her foot, which had pressed against the sharp edge of a rock or something.

"That worked. How'd you know that would work?" Fontaine whispered.

"I didn't," Finn whispered back. Then, louder, "Alright, so I don't remember everything just now, but I'm pretty sure the Nektons got here first. Right, Dad?"

Hammerhead fumbled for words. "Well, er… I guess, maybe… but they… we're pirates, Finn. First come, first serve doesn't apply to us."

"Oh, well…" Finn rubbed his head.

Fontaine glanced at Finn, and saw him blinking rapidly. Was Hammerhead making him nervous? Maybe she would have to rethink sending Finn with Hammerhead, at least until he got his memories back.

"It's a cursed treasure, Dad," Finn finally said. "Why don't we leave the curses to them?"

"I thought we bonded!" Ant said.

Finn grinned. "I'm a pirate, I guess."

Ant let go of Hammerhead to cross his arms. "Yeah, I guess."

Fontaine sighed when Hammerhead frowned uncertainly, so relieved that she felt a bit dizzy.

Hammerhead paddled toward the Dark Orca, frown turning to a scowl. "Ah, I'll leave ya to yer curses, then. If I'm so lucky, maybe we won't be seein' each other again."

"Thank you for your concern," Will said drily, releasing Madaline.

The Nektons and pirates moved slowly away from each other, watching closely for a trap from the other side.

Fontaine and Finn were the last to move apart. They took a step away from each other, but something was clearly wrong with Finn. He was panting and kept blinking like he couldn't focus.

"Mom, I think…" Fontaine swayed. "The currents are weird here, huh?"

"Uh, Fontaine?" Ant said. "We're in a hole. There are no currents."

"What were you saying?" Kaiko said, stepping the Knight closer when Fontaine faltered with her next step.

"I… I think that Finn." Fontaine turned to look at the pirates swimming away. "I don't know."

"Fontaine, are you okay?" Kaiko asked.

Fontaine nodded, even though her heart felt loud and slow in her ears. It was just the water pressure, right?

Across from her, Finn's swimming slowed. He gradually sunk to land unsteadily at the wreck's edge.

"Hammerhead, Finn will need medical attention," Kaiko said.

"I know how to take care of me boy," Hammerhead said, glancing over his shoulder. He paused. "Finn?"

Finn, shaking like he was cold, turned unfocused eyes to Fontaine's glazed ones. Then, both teens' eyes rolled up and they went limp.

* * *

**A/N: Well, it got worse. If you're surprised... you must be new. XD**


	7. Death Grows in These Waters

**A/N: Ya'll saw that coming, so ignore the dramatic music I'm playing in the background. **

**Response to Random Fan: Aw, dang it, I'm predictable. XD They aren't safe yet! If you scare me, I might flinch and their lives are on your head... **

* * *

"Fontaine!" Kaiko cried, grabbing her daughter in the White Knight's arms.

Hammerhead dove. "Me boy!"

Fontaine didn't respond to Kaiko grabbing her. Kaiko was suddenly aware of how labored her breathing sounded over the comms. Hammerhead wasn't having any better results. Finn was shaking wildly, despite the relatively warm waters.

"Get them both to the Aronnax," Will ordered. In case Hammerhead was going to argue, he added, "We're better equipped to deal with medical emergencies."

"There's nothing 'medical' about a pirate's curse!" Hammerhead yelled.

"Just come on!"

The Nektons, Hammerhead holding Finn, and Madaline rushed to the Aronnax's Moon Pool, where they scrambled from their gear. Taking a moment only to wrap the sick kids in towels, both fathers cradled their kids and led the run for the infirmary.

"Put them there," Kaiko said, pointing to two empty beds when they reached the infirmary. "I'll hook them up, and see what's wrong."

"Fontaine's freezing," Will said.

"Finn is, too," Hammerhead said.

Kaiko hooked both teens up for scans. "And both of them have a pulse that is much too slow."

Fontaine stirred. "Mum?"

"I'm here, honey," Kaiko assured her, putting a hand on Fontaine's clammy hand.

"I'm thirsty."

Kaiko grabbed a glass and filled it up at the sink. When she brought it back, Fontaine shifted like she was going to take the glass herself. She inhaled sharply, sudden panic bringing her eyes into focus.

"Mum, I… I can't feel my arms," Fontaine whimpered.

"It's alright, I'll help you," Kaiko murmured, helping Fontaine sit up and take a sip. Her eyes ran down to Fontaine's hands. The skin was taking on a weird purple hue. "We'll get you fixed up."

"Do we have any idea what's causing this?" Will asked as he brought blankets for the kids.

"It's the curse!" Ant declared. He spun on Madeline. "How do you break a pirate's curse?"

"What're ya asking me for?"

"Because out of everyone on the Dark Orca, you seem the most likely to curse someone. And, if you curse someone, you gotta know a cure, right?"

Madaline scowled. Glanced at Finn, then nodded. "Where's yer galley? But no sharin' me secrets!"

"I won't! On my word as a Nekton!"

"Eh, that'll do."

The young pair dashed off. Normally, letting the two youngest of the crews do anything together was a bad idea, but Kaiko had more pressing matters to attend to. And if they somehow stumbled across something that might work… well, Kaiko wouldn't complain.

"Come on, Finn," Hammerhead pleaded. He tucked a blanket around Finn. "Just open yer eyes, boy."

Finn continued to shiver. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was much harsher than Fontaine's. Whatever had infected the kids, had hit Finn first.

"I'll have to take blood samples, see if I can isolate a poison," Kaiko said. "It's the only thing that could have hit them both at the same time."

Kaiko left Fontaine under Will's watch. She took two needles and drew some blood from both teens, then hurried to inspect the blood under the microscope.

For a while, the only sounds in the infirmary was Will comforting Fontaine and Finn's ragged breathing. Kaiko bit back frustrated groans when her searching got her nowhere.

"Mum!" Ant yelled, rushing into the infirmary with Madaline. "We might have something!"

Kaiko eagerly turned to her youngest, smile freezing when she saw a slimy, purple ball of something in his palm.

"What is that?" Kaiko asked, watching the ball dribble ooze on the floor.

"Yeah, I don't know. Madaline wouldn't tell me everything that went in it." Ant lowered his voice. "But I saw some of the things she put onto a raw egg, and I don't think I want to know what else is in it."

"It's an old cure for curses, duh," Madaline said, going to Finn with her own slimy ball. "Put it where the curse is the worst." She pressed the ball into Finn's purple-skinned hand.

Ant looked at Fontaine. Aside from briefly stiffening, he didn't respond to his sister's paleness or ragged breathing. He glanced at Kaiko, a question in his eyes.

"It can't hurt," Kaiko said, turning back to her microscope. "I'm having trouble pinpointing the exact cause of their symptoms."

Ant put his slime ball into Fontaine's hand, causing her to take her eyes from Will. She eyed the ball and grimaced.

"Ant, what is that?" she asked.

"A special pirate cure!" Ant said cheerfully. "Do you feel any different?"

Fontaine blinked at him. "Yeah, actually."

Ant fist-pumped. "Yes!"

"I feel like…" Fontaine's eyes widened. "Ant, move!"

Ant leaped backward, just in time. Fontaine jerked onto her side to throw up onto the floor. Ant groaned as he stepped further back.

"Madaline, I think you missed something," Ant said.

"No, no, that's completely normal," Madaline said unconvincingly.

"Fontaine!" Will untangled the towel and helped Fontaine lay flat again once she was done, so she wouldn't fall off the bed. "Fontaine, can you hear me?"

Fontaine shuddered. "Yeah…"

"Here." Kaiko handed Will a rag, then put a hand to Fontaine's forehead. "Did that help at all?"

"Maybe?"

Fontaine gagged. Now prepared, Kaiko and Will sat her up and grabbed the closest bowl. They soothed Fontaine the best they could until her stomach finally stopped rebelling and she was able to lay back down.

Across from them, Hammerhead and Madaline wished they could get even that sort of reaction from Finn. Madaline unconsciously leaned against Hammerhead, blinking doggedly.

"Maybe… they just need more time?" Ant suggested weakly. "Let the cure soak in?"

Kaiko leaned her hands against the bed. "I don't think this is anything a home remedy can fix." She straightened. "Will, stay with Fontaine. I'm going back out. There has to be something in the water."

"I'm going, too, Mum," Ant said. When Kaiko hesitated, he added, "Please. I want to help."

"I'm helpin', too," Madaline said, stepping away from Hammerhead.

Kaiko nodded. "Alright. The more eyes, the better."

* * *

In the Moon Pool, Ant helped Madaline into the Swamp Knight and got into the Shadow Knight. Kaiko was headed for the White Knight, when her eyes fell on Fontaine's discarded rebreather. Kaiko picked up the rebreather, turning it back-and-forth as she studied purple flecks stuck to the filters.

"You coming, Mum?" Ant called as he dropped the Swamp Knight into the water.

"Coming."

Kaiko dropped the rebreather and got into the White Knight to join the kids in the water. They swam back to the wreckage and landed in the center.

"Wait a minute," Madaline said. "How are we still fine?"

Ant raised an eyebrow. "Luck?"

"Maybe," Madaline allowed. "But Fontaine and Finn weren't tryin' to take the treasure, we were. Why'd they get sick?"

"They were standing right here…" Ant's Knight kicked the silt, uncovering a wooden corner. "It's the treasure!"

Kaiko shook her head as Ant and Madaline uncovered a treasure chest and lifted it. There was no such thing as pirate curses!

Right?

"Put it down and keep your distance," Kaiko warned.

Remembering that she was holding "cursed" treasure, Madaline hurriedly released her end of the chest and leaped back. Unused to the Knight, she stumbled, kicking up silt and a purple powder.

"Madaline, freeze!" Kaiko said.

The Swamp Knight stopped moving. Kaiko cautiously approached her, holding out a hand to catch some of the purple powder.

"It's alright, Madaline," Kaiko said. "Our Knights don't get oxygen from the water like our rebreathers."

"You think there's something in the water that made Fontaine sick?" Ant asked.

"No one else is sick, and the only thing that Fontaine and Finn did differently was swim in this water without a full diving suit or Knight. When were the rebreathers cleaned last?" Kaiko asked.

"Last night. Fontaine and I did it."

Kaiko's eyes narrowed. "This powder was on the inside of the rebreathers."

Ant squinted. "It's purple… like Fontaine's skin!"

And Kaiko had noticed purple flecks when Fontaine threw up.

"Mum, didn't the map have purple flowers along the bottom?" Ant asked.

Kaiko nodded. She had simply thought them to be decorations but, now that she thought about it, she realized the warning about death growing in the water had been right over the flowers!

"I think we have our answer," Kaiko said. "Where did the purple come from?"

Ant prodded a bit of purple coral growing in a familiar shape. He waved a purple-flecked Knight arm. "It came from the coral!"

Kaiko hadn't been focused on the local flora at the time, but still wondered how she had missed the bright purple coral growing around the wreck. She leaned closer the coral, wondering why it looked so familiar. She stiffened.

"Oh, no."

Ant groaned. "I don't like your tone."

"This isn't a curse," Kaiko said, though she was hardly relieved. "It's a coral-based paratoxin, some kind of monkshood! The flecks are small enough to get through the filters, so Fontaine and Finn were breathing it. That's how they were affected so quickly!"

"Okay, so we know what it is, we can fix this!"

Kaiko shook her head. "There is no known antidote for monkshood poisoning."

"What?!" everyone cried.

"But, Fontaine and Finn are strong," Kaiko hurried to say. "We just need to monitor them, keep them calm."

"Mum," Fontaine said. Kaiko winced, wishing she hadn't heard. "Isn't monkshood one of the deadliest plants out there?"

"You'll be fine," Kaiko assured her.

"It can't be the coral," Madaline said. "Look at all the fish!"

Kaiko turned. There was a large school of fish weaving through the coral. How could they-

"Dad?" Fontaine said, distracting Kaiko. "Dad!"

"I'm here, Fontaine," Kaiko said. "What's wrong? What hurts?"

"Everything, but Dad…" Fontaine took a ragged breath. "Something's wrong with Finn! Dad!"

"Mum!" Ant called. "We think the fish are producing their own anti-toxin!"

"See if you can catch one," Kaiko said distractedly. "Will, come in. Will, what's wrong?" When he didn't respond, Kaiko focused on Fontaine's panicked breathing. "Fontaine, it's okay. He's going to be fine."

"Mum…" Fontaine's breathing shuddered. When she spoke again, her words were weirdly slurred. "I'm scared."

Oh, if Kaiko could only be back at the infirmary!

"It's going to be okay. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

Fontaine fell silent. Kaiko watched the kids chase fish for a minute, doing her best to tamp down her worry. A light blinked on the Knight's console, alerting Kaiko of Will calling on a separate line.

"Will, what happened?" Kaiko asked.

"Finn… isn't doing well." Will hesitated.

"How bad?"

"He had a seizure."

Kaiko gasped.

Will took a shuddering breath. "And then he stopped breathing. We stabilized him, but we don't have much time. Finn doesn't have much time."

"Ant has an idea. We'll be right there."

"Got it!" Madaline yelled, a very childish grin on her face when she snagged a fish. The fish squirmed free, leaving her a handful of transparent purple goo. "Gross!"

"That's it!" Ant said, waving his own goo-smeared hand. "Mum, I'm gonna test it!"

Kaiko snapped to attention. "No way. We need to run tests and-"

"We don't have time for tests," Ant said.

Kaiko inhaled sharply, wondering if Ant knew how true his words were. But still…

"I'm not letting you try it," Kaiko said, putting on a rebreather mask and filling her Knight with water. She wasn't about to risk another kid getting sick.

Kaiko waited until the Knight was full, then opened the pod. She kicked over to Ant, who reluctantly smeared the goo onto Kaiko's hand. Kaiko then paddled to a small clump of the coral, making sure the water was clean of the purple toxins. She reached out and carefully ran a gooey finger across the coral. Everyone paused.

"Well?" Ant asked.

"No symptoms," Kaiko said, breathing out a sigh of relief. "And no rash. Kids, get some more of that anti-toxin, and head back to the Aronnax."

By the time Kaiko was back in her Knight, Ant and Madaline had goo liberally coating the hands, arms, and bodies of their Knights.

"Good job, kids. I'll have an antidote put together in no time," Kaiko said.

* * *

Kaiko's optimistic smile lasted until they reached the infirmary and saw Will's twisted expression. Kaiko hurried to him. She looked at Fontaine, who was unconscious and breathing more harshly than ever.

"Will?" Kaiko said.

"I can't blame Hammerhead for his anger when Finn didn't remember him," Will said, eyes on his knuckle-white hands gripping the edge of the bed. "He was scared, Kaiko."

Kaiko stared at her husband, wondering from where his words had come.

"Before she passed out, Fontaine was… she was so confused, Kaiko." Will took a ragged breath. "She didn't know who I was."

"It will be okay," Kaiko murmured. "We have an anti-toxin; I'll have the antidote in minutes."

Will looked at her and dared to smile. Ant flung his arms around his father's waist, too caught up in the moment to crack a joke. The Nektons held each other close, Fontaine's parents gripping her hands, and took a moment to just breathe…

Then Hammerhead yelled.

"Finn!"

Kaiko and Will spun to see Finn thrashing in the bed, another seizure having sent him into uncontrollable convulsions. A horrible, choking sound came from deep in his throat as his whole body rebelled against itself.

"I'll get the antidote ready. Will, keep Finn from hurting himself," Kaiko said, bolting to the table. "Ant, you and Madaline, get out of here!"

"But-" Madaline protested.

"Now!"

Ant grabbed Madaline's arm and tugged her out the door. Ant's eyes were trained on Fontaine while Madaline craned her neck to see Finn past the fathers.

"They'll be okay," Kaiko said. The door closed behind the kids. Kaiko shook her head. "They have to be."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I got nothing.**

**-dramatic music in the background-**


	8. Where's Finn?

**A/N: Hold on, I got some more drama to get out...**

**Response to Random Fan: You might hate me just a little bit this time. I've got an underground bunker for a reason! -dives in- -grabs flashlight to get rid of any shadows-**

* * *

Everything ached, but at least she could move her fingers. Fontaine flexed her hand, and heard gasps above her in response. She pried her eyes open and saw Ant and Will beside her.

"Fontaine!" Ant yelped, grabbing Fontaine in a hug.

"Woah, Ant, chill out," Fontaine said, blinking at the unexpected hug. "What's wrong?"

Ant didn't loosen his hold. "Don't scare me like that again."

Fontaine looked up at Will for an explanation, but he was simply staring at her, stiff like he was afraid she would shatter if he touched her.

Fontaine pushed Ant away and sat up, blinking in an attempt to clear her thoughts.

She was in her room, so why was Ant and Will there? She looked down and noticed that she wasn't in her familiar wetsuit, either, but the pants and loose shirt she wore for the rare occasion of going ashore.

Fontaine stared at herself for a moment, wondering why her mouth tasted so weird, when it hit her. Her and Finn getting sick. Monkshood. No antidote, yet…

Her head jerked up. "You found an antidote?"

"Ant and Madaline figured it out," Will said, pride in his voice. But his eyes were sad.

Fontaine held an arm out to block Ant from another hug. He gave a dramatic pout and leaned his whole weight on Fontaine's arm, which trembled, then gave out. Ant yelped and sprawled across Fontaine's lap.

"Ant, get off," Fontaine said irritably.

Ant leaped back with a sheepish grin. Fontaine shook her head. Just how bad had she gotten, for Ant to react to her being awake like that? And where was Kaiko?

"Where's Mom?" Fontaine asked. Will's expression twisted, making her gasp. "Did she get sick, too?"

"No, no, your mother's fine," Will hurriedly assured her.

A brief silence fell over the trio. Fontaine suddenly felt like there was something she was missing. If she'd been so sick that Ant was hugging her without jokes, then it must have been bad. So what could be so important that Kaiko wasn't with her already or at least been told?

"Dad, what's wrong?" Fontaine persisted.

"Just calm down," Will said, which only had the opposite effect. "You've been really sick, and need time to recover."

Fontaine stared at him, then a horrifying thought came to her. "Is Finn okay?"

"The toxins hit him much harder than you…"

"But, he's going to be fine, right?"

Will's silence was answer enough. Fontaine didn't even realize she was in motion until she felt her dad holding her back.

"Dad, where's Finn?" Fontaine demanded, struggling weakly against Will. "Where's Finn?!"

* * *

**A/N: I asked Prophe-Cass how to go about this chapter. She asked for an evil, evil cliffie. You're welcome.**


	9. Sea of Destiny

**A/N: Violet's name isn't canon, but I needed a name for Finn's mom.**

**Okay, no more cliffies. But... tissue warning. I made myself cry.**

**Response to Random Fan: It's going around! -holds out bowl of chicken noodle soup- **

* * *

_Beep… beep..._

Kaiko closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her microscope. She let out a long, slow breath, wishing the infirmary wasn't so quiet. Madaline's sniffles were the loudest sounds in the room, barely covering the sporadic beep of the heart monitor and the low _whoosh_ of oxygen being pumped into Finn's lungs.

It had only been an hour since Finn started showing symptoms, but the poor kid couldn't even breathe on his own anymore; his body was too exhausted. His heart was barely beating, despite everything Kaiko gave him.

Kaiko pushed up her goggles to rub her eyes, then heard the door opening. Her frown tugged further down when Will strode in with a conscious Fontaine in his arms.

"She insisted," Will said as Kaiko rose to her feet.

Kaiko nodded slightly. She'd hoped to shield Fontaine for even a short while from what was happening to Finn, but had known Fontaine would want to see Finn as soon as she woke. Ant crept in behind Will, so quiet compared to his normal self.

Fontaine, meanwhile, only had eyes for Finn.

He'd become so pale since she had last seen him, except for the purple coloring on his arms. An oxygen mask covered his face and wires ran from his arms to a monitor beside him. Fontaine glanced at the monitor, but everything was so slow and low that Fontaine had to look away.

It took a moment for Fontaine to process his family standing beside him. Hammerhead was flat-faced, hands rubbing slowly around one of Finn's. Madaline had tears streaming down her face, but the young pirate didn't even acknowledge them.

"Finn…" Fontaine reached out a hand. "How… why's he so much worse?"

Kaiko looked at Fontaine's desperate eyes, then walked closer and rested a hand on Fontaine's shoulder. "He had an open wound, so the poison spread faster. The toxins reached his brain."

"Can't you…" Fontaine panted heavily. Tears shone in her eyes. "The antidote?"

"I've given him as much as I dare," Kaiko said. "It's…. it's too late."

Fontaine shuddered as a tear tracked down her face. "Can I…?"

"Let's leave them," Kaiko urged.

"No," Hammerhead rasped. "'Tis clear she needs to be here. Let her stay."

Will looked at Hammerhead in shock, then nodded. Ant hurried a chair beside Finn's bed, where Will settled Fontaine. Will, Kaiko, and Ant backed away to give the others some space.

Fontaine grabbed other hand and tiredly squeezed. His skin was so cold and damp. Shouldn't he be shivering?

"I'll never forgive meself," Hammerhead said. "All I wanted was the treasure… I missed the danger to me own boy. This is all me fault."

"He tried to warn all of us," Fontaine mumbled.

"It's the curse of pirates, ya know," Hammerhead went on. "Always huntin' down the treasure. Nothin' stops us, and nothin' stopped Finn… except ya."

Fontaine looked up, startled.

"Aye, I know, lass." Hammerhead sighed and smiled sadly at Finn. "He always had the same look in his eye after seeing ya, as I did when I first met my Violet. He loves ya, lass."

"It was never meant to be," Fontaine said.

"The ocean guides us to our destinies," Hammerhead said. "And the ocean kept leadin' us back to ya."

Fontaine… didn't know what to say. Besides the fact that Hammerhead actually knew about Finn liking her and vice versa, it sounded like he _approved_. Fontaine squeezed Finn's hand, then a thought came to her.

"If the ocean leads us to our destinies," -this was research, Fontaine didn't believe in destinies- "How can the ocean lead Finn and me together, but also lead us to the deadly plants?" Not that Finn was going to die, he was going to _live_, and Fontaine was _not _going to cry in front of the pirates!

Hammerhead sighed. "Ya can be destined to love alone."

Fontaine's face twisted. Love alone? Without Finn? She'd never really worried too much about Finn leaving, the pirate boy was always coming back. And today would be no different!

Madeline crossed her arms, scowling against her tears. "Finn's not goin' to die, ya know."

Fontaine could have hugged her. Hammerhead wiped his own shining eyes. He gave a weary smile down on Finn.

"Oh, Madeline." Hammerhead swept his daughter closer. "I think… I think this is what the sea wants. We've had our time with Finn. It's the sea's time to play with Finn."

Fontaine wished she didn't have to listen anymore. She dropped her head, feeling tired.

"Finn and yer dear mother are the sea's," Hammerhead went on, voice choked. "Don't worry, Madeline, the sea will take care of our family for us."

"You don't need some sea to care for you," Fontaine whispered, words meant only for Finn's ears. "You take care of yourself. You never needed any help, so why start now?"

The heart monitor beeped slowly. Madeline sniffled, and Hammerhead's loud sniffing joined her. Fontaine blinked back her own tears.

"You're too stubborn to let some plant take you away." Fontaine's breathing hitched. "You're stronger than the ocean, Finn. Stronger than some curse. You have to fight, Finn! Fight it, for your dad and little sister."

In the following silence, Fontaine's tears dropped. "Okay… fine. You're going to make me say it? Alright, pirate boy." Fontaine pressed the back of Finn's hand to her forehead. "Fight for me, Finn. I don't… I don't want you to leave. Come back to me, Finn. Don't make me say good-bye. Please!"

Fontaine's only answer was the slow beep of the heart monitor. Exhausted, Fontaine slumped against the rails of the bed. She soon fell into a deep sleep.

Fontaine was left alone and slept on, oblivious to the increasing motion around her as her family returned to the infirmary. Whispered discussions and a few heated arguments take place over the undisturbed teens. Will tried to move her, but Fontaine's fingers were too tightly laced through Finn's to get loose, so he gave up and let her sleep on.

Unnoticed, Fontaine's hand twitched and tightened in Finn's. A second later, a blaring alarm filled the room as Finn's heart stopped. Tears leaked from Fontaine's eyes, dripping onto her and Finn's clenched hands while frantic voices rose around her.

Fontaine shuddered out a breath. She curled inward, which did nothing to help her family's panic. A whispered plea came from her lips.

"Please…"

_Beep…_

All motion stilled as the monitor leaped back to life. Finn twitched once, choked, then fell limp with regular breath. Fontaine's soft sigh was echoed by all those around her, though the girl had never woken.

It wasn't until eight hours later, when Finn's hand started to move from hers that Fontaine roused. She jerked her head up, blinking dazedly for a second before remembering where she was. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand and looked down.

Sea blue eyes stared up at her.

* * *

**A/N: And... he lives! Ya'll knew that one, huh?**

**Actually, a couple days ago when I was editing this chapter, I realized that I was totally setting the scene for Finn to die. If this hadn't started as an amnesia fic and thus had a second plot going on, he wouldn't have survived this story. So... consider yourselves lucky. XD**

**I've got one more chapter that's way lighter and clears a few things up.**


	10. In Which Everything Was Ant's Fault

**A/N: I got bored with this chapter, so zip editing and convenient time lapse.**

**Response to Random Fan: The wonders of digital soup! XD Kaiko totally knows and approves of Fontaine liking Finn, but Will is too oblivious and probably won't be in the know until their wedding day. XD -ignores cough- She vanished?! -shoves out new chapter as bait-**

* * *

"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" Kaiko asked.

"We've been on this infernal tub long enough," Hammerhead grumbled. "We're headin' back to the Dark Orca, and ya can't keep us captive any longer!"

Fontaine and Finn grinned at each other. It had been an interesting three days while Kaiko insisted that Finn stay on the Aronnax. The Nektons had come to a tentative truce, even though the "truce" involved Ant watching Madaline at all times and neither Will or Hammerhead trusting the other to be out of sight. Kaiko was the only calm one, often having to put both families to various tasks to keep them out of trouble.

"I think Dad will do something crazy if he has to stay on 'enemy territory' any longer," Finn added.

"Yeah, I don't think we can count on this being a regular thing," Fontaine agreed. She glanced at Finn. "You really sure you want to go?"

"Someone's got to keep you all away from curses," Finn said with his usual grin.

Fontaine rolled her eyes. A day after Finn had miraculously started to recover, the families had realized that Finn's memories were back. And with his memories, Finn had returned to his annoying old self. When he was awake, Finn was either teasing the Nektons about his "successful infiltration" of the Aronnax or encouraging Madeline's antics that had Ant running frantic whenever she vanished.

Fontaine was just glad Finn hadn't heard her begging him to not leave her. If Finn caught wind of that, he'd never let her hear the end of it. Hammerhead seemed to feel the same way about his admission of knowing about her and Finn liking each other. Fontaine and Hammerhead had come to an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't mention what they'd heard around Finn's bed that day.

Now that Fontaine thought about it… there was a lot that had happened during the last few days that would probably be ignored. Fontaine not leaving Finn's side until she fell asleep and was carried to bed. Ant and Madeline working together on their "cure" and finding the real cure. The two of them had even fallen asleep on each other's shoulders when neither would leave their sibling. Kaiko using the "mom stare" on Hammerhead and Will when they bickered.

"Com'on, Finn," Hammerhead said, jolting Fontaine to the present. "We're goin' back to the Dark Orca."

"Hey, wait a minute," Ant said.

"I'm not emptyin' me pockets again," Madeline promptly said.

"Suspicious, but I'm going to ignore that just now." Ant looked at Finn. "You never did tell us how you lost your memory."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Finn said.

Fontaine groaned. "Sure you did."

Finn smirked harder and turned to Madeline. "You know that people can get amnesia from getting hit on the head, right?"

"Duh! What's that have to do with-" Madeline paused. "Ya mean…?"

"Yep." Finn let a moment pass. "This is all Ant's fault."

Fontaine blinked and looked at Ant, who raised his hands defensively.

"How could it be my fault? I hadn't seen you for days before you sabotaged the Aronnax!" Ant protested.

"Well, remember that time you made the Aronnax ram the Dark Orca because you were crawling around the ducts?"

Ant crossed his arms. "You mean the time your family kidnapped mine and Mad Madeline sabotaged her own sub?"

"Remember what you told me?" Finn asked, ignoring the youngest two glaring daggers.

"Uh… when?"

"You told us that our Moon Pool needed a claw."

"Okay?"

"We got a claw." Finn raised an eyebrow and waited.

"I don't get-" Ant paused. He threw his hands in the air. "It's not my fault that stuff on your sub never works!"

"Your claw just swung and hit you?" Fontaine asked, incredulous.

"It had help." Finn smirked at Madeline.

"Those controls should be higher," Madeline grumbled. She put on her helmet. "I'm gettin' out of here before they do somethin' weird like try to hug us."

Ant shuddered. "As if!"

"Let me get this clear," Fontaine said while Madeline dove into the Moon Pool. "You actually listened to Ant, got a claw, then Madeline accidentally made it hit you?"

"Is that what happened?" Hammerhead asked when Finn nodded. "Madeline said ya were outside the sub, but never mentioned how. Currents swept ya away before we could track ya." He mumbled something that sounded like "broken navigation" before turning to the water. "I'm not goin' to forget this Nektons!"

"That we kidnapped your son?" Will asked drily.

"Ya saved me boy," Hammerhead said solemnly. "Thank ya."

Hammerhead dove before anyone could react. Yet another thing that would never be mentioned again, Fontaine could bet.

"Huh, that's new," Finn commented. "Well, I guess that's my cue to go before someone tosses me off. So long, Nektons. We'll be seeing each other again soon, I'm sure."

Throwing a flippant salute, Finn stepped backward into the water. Fontaine peered down after him, holding back a smile and waving until he swam out of sight.

"So long, pirate boy," Fontaine murmured.

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**A/N: Thank you for bearing with this trainwreck of impulsiveness, ya'll are amazing. Until the next impulse!**


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